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FAQs

CM is an acronym for Case Management and ECF is an acronym for Electronic Case Filing. It is a system that is used nationally by the Federal courts for the filing and managing of electronic cases.

Are there on-line manuals or on-line help files for e-filing?

Yes, CM/ECF has on-line descriptions of almost every screen available by clicking on the yellow (?) question mark. It is not necessary to try to figure out how to search for the answer to your question because the help box gives specific information about the screen you are currently viewing. There is also a filer help desk number: 859-233-2608 ext. 274.

There is also a technical help desk number: 859-233-2608 ext. 127.

Does the local court staff train the attorney and support personnel on e-filing?

Training is offered on a continual year-round basis in the court’s training room to train new attorneys and new staff.

Is the privacy policy enforced retroactively?

No, the paper pleadings filed in cases that started out as paper still contain all the unredacted information.

What should I do in the ECF System when support staff leaves my firm?

Immediately log in to the ECF System and change your password. If you fill the position with a new employee, go to the training registration page on this website to arrange for a specific training date and time.

How are privacy issues being addressed?

A subcommittee of the Judicial Conference Committee was formed to study the issues and to create a policy regarding privacy. A copy of the privacy policy is available at the link below. Based upon the recommendations contained in the policy, some changes were made to the software, but the primary responsibility falls upon the attorney to protect the client.

By selecting the link below, you will be leaving the website of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The accuracy, relevance, timeliness, and completeness of the information on other websites is outside the control of this website.

Bankruptcy cases have always been public records viewable by anyone requesting to see the case. However, there has not been the same ease of universal access that there is now by having access to the entire case record via the Internet.

Does someone submitting a long document monopolize the ECF System to the detriment of other users?

No, a user submitting a large file to the ECF System will not interfere with other users’ access. The system uses web-based technology, which is designed to serve large numbers of users simultaneously. However, if an outside user runs a report without entering specific search parameters, the system can be slowed down.

Some docket reports are very long, with hundreds of entries. Can a docket report be run for only part of the docket?

Yes, like most other ECF reports, docket reports have a wide variety of criteria that can be entered, such as a date range, to narrow down the data that is retrieved. Using these options also enables the report to be run faster and relieves the user from receiving extraneous information.

Is the filer of the document identified on the docket report?

Yes, the name of the attorney/party who filed the document is in parentheses at the end of each docket entry.